Macron meets King Charles before viewing Bayeux Tapestry at start of UK visit

French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a two-day visit to Britain Wednesday, meeting King Charles III at his London residence ahead of viewing the landmark Bayeux Tapestry exhibition with the monarch and their wives.

Macron and wife Brigitte met Charles and Queen Camilla at Clarence House in central London, before joining Prime Minister Andy Burnham at an event to mark the British Museum's historic tapestry showcase.

All three men were expected to deliver remarks at the early evening inauguration ceremony in the British capital.

The work depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England -- which had not left France since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago -- goes on public display at the museum from next week until July.

The daring loan gambit is the culmination of years of cross-Channel diplomacy, with Macron playing an instrumental role, and is viewed as another step towards healing the rancour of the Brexit years.

"The loaning of the tapestry is a great example of French-British cooperation," Burnham told MPs earlier Wednesday, heralding "the same cooperation" as helping reduce the number of migrants crossing the Channel to Britain on small boats to a seven-year low.

The UK premier -- who replaced Keir Starmer in July -- will be looking for other concrete outcomes when he welcomes Macron to Downing Street for talks Thursday.

The French president will be the first European Union leader hosted there by Burnham.

The former Manchester mayor has been clear he is eager to build on his predecessor's efforts to forge closer post-Brexit cooperation with the bloc as he eyes boosting sluggish UK growth.

He has largely focused on domestic policy since taking over, but has maintained London's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Anand Menon, professor of European politics and foreign affairs at Kings College London, warned there was a danger the visit would be "style without substance" even though Britain and France can appear "best buddies" on non-EU business like Ukraine.

Macron and Starmer enjoyed good ties and adopted lead roles in a so-called Coalition of the Willing of nations supporting Ukraine.

"The president had developed with prime minister Starmer a very friendly and highly effective relationship, particularly on Ukraine and the Middle East," a French presidential official said, asking not to be named.

Coordination with Burnham was expected to be "just as important and regular", added the official.

For Macron, who arrived from a trip to the Netherlands, the visit is significant as he approaches the final months of his presidential term.

The French leader remains eager to press his vision of European sovereignty not dependent on the United States -- and the UK is seen as having a crucial role to play even after its EU divorce.

Starmer was also part of a tight E3 trio with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Burnham will likely want to maintain.

However, he will be aware a new French president looms on the horizon in less than a year, while Germany's leader is under immense pressure at home from the rise of the far right.

Burnham has so far only welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his Downing Street office since becoming prime minister on July 20 and visited Kyiv on his first overseas trip.

On the train to Ukraine, Burnham met EU Council President Antonio Costa, telling him "the UK had to be bolder in terms of getting closer to the bloc", according to Downing Street.

The 11th-century Bayeux Tapestry, which famously depicts the Norman conquest of England by William the Conqueror, arrived in London in July for the sell-out exhibition.

Macron is "very eager" to see the tapestry displayed "in optimal conditions", laid out flat at full length on a table, the French presidential official said. At its home in Bayeux in Normandy the work has been displayed against a wall.

On the diplomatic front, Menon said Macron's talks with Burnham would be judged on details.

"You can have as much of a bromance as you want, but we need progress on the EU negotiations, and I suspect we won't get any movement on that," he said.